Daily Devotional for February 25, 2019
Echoes of Love
“Riding this old train is going to be fun!” said Colin. “Best part of our vacation so far.”
“Yeah,” Tessa said as they all settled into their seats in an open car behind an old engine.
The engineer served as the guide. When they reached a section of tracks that ran through a valley, he stopped the train. “This is Echo Valley,” he told them, and he sounded the whistle. A mournful “Oo-o-o-o-o-o” filled the air. A few seconds later, they heard a faint echo of that sound. The engineer smiled at the kids. “Give it a try,” he urged. “Make your own echo.”
Several children on the train took turns calling out something and listening for the echo to come back. It was great fun. When it was Tessa’s turn, she cupped her hands around her mouth. “Hello!” she called loudly. “Hello,” came the faint reply.
Colin tried it. “Goodbye!” he called. “Goodbye,” the echo repeated.
When the train ride ended, Colin, Tessa, and their parents piled into their car. “Should we eat now or stop a little later?” asked Dad.
“Now,” Colin said at once.
“No,” said Tessa, “let’s stop later.”
“But I’m hungry now!”
“Oh, stop whining. You’re such a big baby!”
“You’re the big baby!” The insults continued between the two.
Mom frowned. “Listen to those echoes!”
“Echoes?” said Tessa. “I don’t hear any echoes.”
“I do,” said Mom. “I hear mean, ugly words echoing through this car. Echoes come back as they are sent. When Tessa called out, ‘Hello,’ the echo did not reply, ‘Goodbye.’ It’s the same with the words we use with others—the response we get is often an echo of what we say to them.”
“Yes,” said Dad, “and more than that, the words we say are echoes of what’s in our hearts. If we love one another, the words we say will echo that love. But if we’re saying things with a selfish attitude, our words will come out mean and ugly.”
He looked at the kids in the rearview mirror. “Let’s ask Jesus to help us put away our selfish attitudes and echo His love in the way we speak to others.” – Barbara J. Westberg
How about you?
What kind of words do you say to others? Are they echoes of the love Jesus has put in your heart—or echoes of selfishness? The words we speak show what’s in our hearts. Ask Jesus to help you respond to others in kindness instead of selfishness so they can hear echoes of His love in your words.
Thank you for reading this Keys for Kids devotional! Did you enjoy the story? Has Keys for Kids been an encouragement to you and your family? If so, would you please consider supporting Keys For Kids Ministries in our effort to continue to provide these daily devotionals to children around the world?